Kobeyashi:
I think that what Diamond was on about (although in a somewhat exagerated measure) is that the United States does host a lot of international patients for "advanced" and or "specialized" healthcare procedures. To say that "most people in the world" come here for it is a stretch, as "most people in the world" never set foot in the United States, but there is a siginificant number of U.S. healthcare recipients who come here from abroad for procedures that are not available in their countries.
Example: The University of Alabama School of Medicine is in the city where I work; it is a public institution with tremendous resources dedicated to treatment of heart disease, cancer, and other fields, and much of their research is funded by private grants. Quite often, we hear of patients coming to UAB (it is on the campus of University of Alabama at Birmingham) for treatment, while they are from India, the United Kingdom, Russia, and, yes, Canada. Keep in mind that it is a "learning hospital" and thus probably devotes more to research and "advanced" health care than our typical neighborhood hospitals do (the private hospital in my suburban community only got a cardiac unit a few months ago), but these institutions in the U.S. are indeed international destinations for a considerable number of patients.
And madamc:
the USA isn't that much better than a third world country. there are huge gaps between the rich and the poor.
I refer you to Sula?s response to this comment; could not have said it better myself (though unlike her, I have never lived in a Third World Country.
before you bash canada, ask yourselves this:
are there any programs to help the less fortunate? welfare? education programs?
In the state where I live, which is one of the ?poorest? in the U.S.: yes, yes, and yes.
are there beds for the homeless? in montreal, there is a bed for every homeless person. whether they choose to use them is their choice.
In the state where I live: yes, and likewise, whether they choose to use them/abide by the rules such shelters may impose is their choice.
what about a health care system? in canada, there are PUBLIC and PRIVATE health care systems.
In the state where I live: the same; we have PUBLIC and PRIVATE health care systems, and if the PRIVATE system is affiliated with a foundation or religious order, there is also the possibility of charity healthcare.
as far as standards of living are concerned, canada is a better place to live--we are only beaten by norway.
I won?t argue with you there; I have seen the U.N.?s statistics and I cannot refute them. However, I would take Alabama?s humid subtropical climate over that of Canada or Norway any day and therefore I will stay here.
~U2Alabama